Battered Women

Description: This course focuses on legal, social, and emotional issues. Discussions examine such topics as the politics of battering and the thinking behind it; the practical problems faced by battered women; the social and legal remedies presently available and why their effectiveness is so limited; how the issue of violence against women finally came to the public's attention; how society has perpetuated the myths behind battering; how the processes that perpetuate the violence might be reversed. The course also considers shelters, direct action, and legal and legislative reform in this area, including controversial self-defense cases involving battered women who have killed abusive spouses or lovers.